This post explains the football term ‘head-to-head record’, which is used to separate teams who finish on the same points in the division. Find out more about this phrase by reading the transcript below and you can also find many more examples of soccer vocabulary by going to our football cliches page here and our huge football glossary here.This post explains the football term ‘head-to-head record’.
Football Language: Head-to-head record
When teams finish level in a league or a qualifying group they have to be separated in some way. Usually this is done by goal difference but sometimes the results between the two teams counts instead – this happens for example in La Liga in Spain. In the Champions League when teams finish level on points in the qualifying group the head-to-head record is used. So, for example if team A beats team B at home and then draws away Team A will finish above Team B in the table. Sometimes this phrase is also used when comparing results between two teams over time – Brazil have a better head-to-head record against Germany: they have played each other 22 times with 5 wins for the Germans and 12 wins for the Brazilians and five draws. Head-to-head record.
Example: Roma finished ahead of Chelsea in their Champions League group thanks to a better ‘head-to-head record‘ – Roma beat Chelsea 3-0 at home and drew 3-3 in London.
Example: They [Eibar] are bottom of La Liga with 30 points after 37 games, three behind 17th-placed Huesca and with a worse head-to-head record (Guardian.co.uk, May 16 2021).
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Is it allowed to consider cards before going for head to head?
Is a red card shown in a match count use in head to head
Hello
Yes, disciplinary record is used to decide on positions in the group. Japan qualified ahead of Senegal because they had received fewer yellow cards than their opponents after they finished with the same points/goals record in their group.